Welcome back, everyone. This week, we continue to observe Batman’s 75th Anniversary as we at DKN pick what we felt were the best episodes of The Batman. Personally, I believe this was an underrated series. Sure, they wanted to bring in more of the younger audience and visually reinterpreted many characters, yet it was never at any time disrespectful or radically divergent from Batman canon. It was a series that offered a more fantastical take on the mythos than say Batman: The Animated Series, but was wildly imaginative and capable of delighting Batfans of all ages.
The producers of this show wanted to set it apart from previous efforts and, boy, did they ever. Not only is this show completely separate from the “Timmverse”, the aforementioned redesigns of many characters wasn’t met with in a positive manner by some fans. Sometimes I think people forget that for a character to endure for so long, changes have to be made. Change is more than necessary. Imagine what things would be like if Bruce didn’t have a Batcave and still changed into his costume in his bedroom like in his comic book debut. There really is no wrong interpretation of Batman. That’s why we love him – every incarnation of him means something to somebody.
Take myself as an example: I said in a previous Top 5 feature that I got back into comics in 2005. The Batman was in its early seasons at the time and was one of the outlets that helped me reacquaint myself with the Dark Knight and his world. Therefore, it will always hold a special place in my heart. And yes, I did appreciate Rino Romano’s portrayal of a youthful but gruff Batman. I also have no doubt that this show was responsible for the creation of a whole new generation of Batfans.
Without further delay, here are our picks:
5. A MATTER OF FAMILY
This was the episode that introduced Dick Grayson/ Robin into the series. It took four seasons to introduce him due to some weird embargo that wouldn’t let him appear on a show outside Teen Titans. What’s highly commendable about this episode was that they told Robin’s complete origin in one episode and made it work. The murder of his parents, his discovering of Batman’s identity, and his first donning of the costume were all crammed into twenty-some-odd minutes and it was all done WELL. I still can’t believe they pulled it off. Also, be sure to keep your ears open because Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill voiced John Grayson and Tony Zucco, respectively.
4. STRANGE MINDS
One thing that you can say about this series is that the producers aimed to elevate Hugo Strange to the upper echelon of villains and they did just that. This tale sees The Joker kidnap Detective Yin. To find her, GCPD enlists the help of Strange, who employs a highly experimental procedure to enter Joker’s mind. You read that correctly: the bulk of this episode takes place INSIDE THE JOKER’S MIND. Of course, Batman crashes the party. Standards and practices didn’t allow for a completely unhinged adventure, but it was still highly entertaining nevertheless.
3. STRANGE NEW WORLD
Yet another Hugo Strange episode makes our list. This one features two modern pop culture darlings: Batman and zombies! Strange has apparently infected Gotham’s population with a zombie virus. Or has he? It’s up to Batman to get to the bottom of what’s really going on. Though not one of my personal favorites, several of our staff members love it and I can certainly understand why.
2. RIDDLER’S REVENGE
This episode is pretty much Riddler’s equivalent of “Heart of Ice”. It does a fantastic job of humanizing him and shows that at one point in his life he could have possibly been redeemed. The Batman/ Riddler dynamic is at its best here and this is one episode of this series that I have never tired of. A bit more mature in context, it may be one of the best Riddler tales in any medium.
1. ARTIFACTS
This was our unanimous choice for the top spot, a first for these features. I said it in a previous article and I’ll say it again: Mr. Freeze isn’t a villain who shows up very often, but when he does he really makes it count. We get a look forward to the future of 3027, where Mr. Freeze has awoken from a cryogenic slumber to wreak havoc on a Gotham free of Batman. This prompts the GCPD to excavate the Batcave in hopes of finding a way to deal with him. Much of the episode flashes back to 2027 (20 years later than the series takes place) to detail Batman and Freeze’s final showdown. What’s also awesome is that we see an older, bulkier Batman reminiscent of Frank Miller’s Dark Knight, a Dick Grayson who has matured into the role of Nightwing, and Barbara Gordon as Oracle.
Do you agree with our list? Did any of your favorites not make the cut?